


Christmas Then and Christmas Now

by gwenpoole



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: christmas drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:07:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21928705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gwenpoole/pseuds/gwenpoole
Summary: Irondad Secret Santa 2019For @spideynamu on Tumblr Merry Christmas!Tony decides to drag his kids out to a winter cabin he ponders the idea of Christmas to himself and his family, soft drabble
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4
Collections: Iron Dad Secret Santa 2019





	Christmas Then and Christmas Now

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wisterispidey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wisterispidey/gifts).



> It's become more of a drabble due to how busy I got, maybe when I have time I'll come back and rewrite to make more sense.

Tony extends his arms out with a small grin, breathing in the crisp cool air through his nose and exhaling softly. Tony wasn’t so big on holidays at one point, mainly because he really didn’t have anyone to spend it with. Easter didn’t really matter since he wasn’t exactly a practicing religious man, Halloween he did enjoy though due to it’s somewhat promiscuous nature, Christmas was a different story though. When Tony was younger his parents didn’t exactly pay too much attention to him, his father had commented once that these were the busiest time of the year. Tony had pondered the meaning of this until reluctantly asking the elder, who replied in a factual tone it was the best time of the year to sway clients into your favour.   
So, while Christmas was always incredibly extravagant with the house being filled to the brim with Christmas decorations. A tree for every guest room and a giant one in the middle of their home that was big enough to be displayed in a moderate sized shopping mall the actual feeling of Christmas tended to lack. Every third night there would be some dinner party or Christmas Party in which Tony would need to be suited up for and to be shown off to creepy old men who’s breath smelt of champagne and tobacco.   
Later years of Tony’s teens, he hardly came home for Christmas, too busy at university or when he did come home, his parents would be off travelling again for some ‘getaway’ but in reality, it was littered with work. Stops at international SI buildings, S.H.I.E.L.D. issues in which Tony was of course oblivious to until just a few years ago.  
There were only two times Tony deemed to have a real Christmas in his youth. One was when Tony was twelve and his mother had finally persuaded his father to take an honest break for Christmas, or what could be the best she got. On the week of Christmas Maria dragged her two boys out to a spacious but cosy winter cabin at least two hours out of Juneau, Alaska. Tony had huffed and puffed just as much as his father but soon had begun to enjoy himself, the house was expensively decorated but the three had made their own Christmas decorations to add to the tree, even Howard although it was a cut out star from some white paper with his signature before he had returned to his study. Tony’s fondest Christmas was in some get away cabin in Alaska. That the Stark’s had owned apparently since Tony was born which Tony found out after checking the property records, the purchase had been signed off by his mother. His mother taught Tony how to make hot chocolate her grandma had made for her who claimed it to be an old recipe of the Carbonell’s. Howard left late Christmas day for work but overall it was a good week even if finished early.  
One of Tony’s other favourite Christmas’s was when Tony was 18 and Rhodey had invited him over for Christmas. It wasn’t expensive, there weren’t Christmas trees in every room, in fact Tony slept on a blow-up mattress in Rhodey’s bedroom. But the house smelled like cinnamon and nutmeg, Tony met the rest of Rhodey’s family. His little sister Jeanette who always teased Rhodey but was thoughtful and kind, a little starstruck by Tony, his mom Roberta who insisted on Tony calling her mom too, she’d pinch his cheek and always offered him some sort of baked good and Rhodes father Terrance, although intimidating at first Tony was quickly to learn a deep chuckle was never far to follow whenever Rhodes dad entered the room. He was a tough worker and enjoyed talking to Tony about cars although he rather Tony called him by his name that didn’t stop him from referring to the other with ‘son’. The only foul memory was Rhodey’s uncle, Joshua who seemed to hold a grudge at times for Tony’s public life of being raised in money, never knowing the struggles of the working class.   
But the rest of the Rhodes saw Tony otherwise, as a kid who never was able to spend a Christmas surrounded by full and accepting love, constantly alienated.  
It was a nice change.  
The next Christmas when Tony was nineteen, he had come home for Christmas, finding refuge on a couch, listening to his mother play piano on Christmas Eve. Tony couldn’t forget every small thing that had happened those holidays, every small detail failed to escape from him no matter how hard he had tried. Tony could remember each key hit, when his mothers voice softened, the footsteps of his father as he fixed his tie. Each Christmas after that was spent ensuring he wouldn’t remember it.   
Then Pepper entered his life, the parties didn’t stop but occasionally, Pepper persuaded him to visit his parents, flowers in hand and Happy in the background, quiet and respectful. He spiralled again after Afghanistan without saying but he started dating Pepper. Eventually married and Christmas became something that meant something again. Dinner and wine, a small tree near the fireplace. Nothing extravagant ever. Meaningful gifts. His efforts at Christmas became more valid once Harley was born, he promised to create a Christmas he once shared with the Rhode family for his new family.  
Once Peter was born the idea of Christmas had intensified in the Stark household to the point it became ridiculous but it was always a private celebration spent between the family, they would go skiing the week before Christmas every year without fail apart from the time Harley complained about wanting to go to the Bahama’s for Christmas. Tony had gone quiet at that idea and Pepper had quickly suggested New Zealand instead for hiking in the warm weather which they had enjoyed and the boys seemed to enjoy visiting the tourist locations for The Lord Of The Rings and other spots just as much as they enjoyed the quiet spots where they’d end up sleeping in some random hotel in a small town they struggled to pronounce.   
When they arrived back in New York Tony took his boy’s hands softly with a smile and introduced them to their grandparents’ graves. It felt like closure in a small sense and afterwards every year onward they’d visit Tony’s parents’ graves.   
There was only one year Tony failed to celebrate Christmas after Pepper had entered his life which was the first year after the snap. Tony couldn’t bare to spend Christmas without Harley and Peter so he didn’t. Pepper had left it at that. But once Morgan was born he had brought out the Christmas decorations although less intense.  
This year was the first year Tony would be able to spend Christmas with all three kids and Pepper and he was ecstatic. Which Harley had insisted on calling lame although he understood where his dad was coming from, so the insults were kept to a minimum.   
The family had just come home from a week in Switzerland, Peter teaching Morgan how to ski but the two ended up being more partial to sledding in the end with Pepper spending her week reading in the café, a coffee in hand. But she didn’t completely abstain from the snow, teaming up with Harley and Morgan in a snow fight against Peter and Tony one afternoon outside of their cabin. Harley and Tony on the other hand spent the week snowboarding, regardless of how much Tony complained about his aching muscles at the end of the day, two of the days Peter had joined them with his skis who had outraced them both. In which Harley blamed on the super enhanced abilities he had gained.   
When Tony had found out the Spider-Menace they were hunting was in fact his own son, he had a fit and threatened to take legal action against Oscorp. Swearing to run it out of business but Peter had practically pleaded him not to just because of his friendship with the lousy Norman Osborn’s kinder and gentler son Harry. Lucky for Norman Tony liked Harry too. He often kept Peter company during dinners and social gatherings and ended up being one of the only socially elite kids Peter got along with while Harley tended to throw his own parties with teens in a quiet room such as Kate Bishop. But Harley had started attending MIT a year before the snap so he wasn’t home very often although he made sure Harley came home for Christmas in which Tony hardly did when attending University, something he openly regrets.  
“What do you think kids?” Tony shouted enthusiastically, followed by Harley rolling his eyes and Peter groaning slightly. Morgan merely yawned so Tony picked her up gingerly, running a gentle hand through her hair and fixing her hat. “Okay we’ll get inside, it’s freezing out here.”   
The male walked up, holding his daughter gently and fumbled with the house keys, as soon as the door creaked open Harley had pushed his way in, taking off his hat and shaking out his hair “It’s not much warmer in here either dad, they didn’t set a fire or anything.”   
The elder brother groaned, refusing to take off his coat that had already accumulated a steady layer of snow from standing outside the cabin in the snow that had begun to fall heavy. They had arrived by snowmobile, Morgan riding with Tony and Harley revelling in riding his own. Peter though preferring to be on the back of their guides snowmobile. Once the guide had helped put the two snowmobiles into the garage he had left.   
Tony shrugged softly as he put down Morgan, walking over to the fireplace to begin kindling it to introduce some much needed heat “It’s an old cabin Harley, hell it’s older than me. Just. If the cleaners had left on an unsupervised fire, I wouldn’t exactly be so keen on hiring them again.”  
Peter huffed softly as he began helping Morgan take off her heavy winter clothes “News flash dad, they’re supposed to do that. You’re just paranoid.” He hung up the coat to dry before easily climbing the wall, finding sanctuary in a high point of the cabin. Which was met with confused looks.  
“Why are you doing that Petey?” Morgan asked, attempting to recreate Peter’s actions to hopefully join him.  
“Good question Morgan, your brother has finally gone loopy.” Harley replied as Tony snickered as the beginnings of a fire began to form in the heart of the fireplace.   
“Heat rises dingus. I want to be warm before you especially just to gloat.” Peter replied with a smug smile which caused Tony to shake his head.  
“You’re right underoos, but I find sitting in front of the fire is a faster alternate.” Morgan laughed at that and had joined her dad, sitting in his lap softly and cuddling up to the elder. She was five now, having just finished her first semester at school and constantly complained about the stiff formal uniform she was made to wear and insisted on how boring the classes were.   
Harley looked around “This cabin is so bleak dad. I mean they set up a tree but…” Harley shrugs “It’s lacking.”   
Tony looked over and nodded, cuddling Morgan slightly to ensure she’s warmed up “Yeah, I asked them not to, I was hoping we could make our own. A fun activity while we wait for your mum to arrive.”  
Peter sighed and dropped to the ground, walking over and lying down in front of the fire “Really? That’s something we did when we were five.”   
Tony laughed slightly and casually ruffled the kid’s hair “Yeah, you were Morgan’s age weren’t you? I got glitter glue and coloured paper. Basically, we’re going to make the best Christmas decorations.”   
Harley huffed but nodded “C’mon Peter, dad’s gone loopy but I guess whatever to make the little munchkin happy.” The elder of the trio commented, sitting down at the table, followed by Morgan who quickly seated herself at the table.   
Peter stands by the fire for a moment as the other two siblings begin to dissect the box of arts and craft, he looks down at Tony and smiles softly “How’s your arm holding up?”   
Tony laughed gently and moved closer to the fireplace “Oh man is it obvious?” He asked before standing up, keeping his jacket on. For at least till the cabin had fully warmed up.  
“Not obvious at all unless you happen to have super enhanced abilities, want a hot chocolate?” Peter asked and Tony nodded, joining the other two.   
Peter began busying himself with four mugs and pulling out the marshmallows from the fridge “So when does mum get here anyway? And the rest of the Avengers?”   
“Well, your mum will be getting here tomorrow night and everyone else will begin arriving the next day, so for now we’ve got to pimp out this place with as much Christmas decorations and eat as much sweets as possible.”   
Morgan laughed at that as she pulled out some child proof scissors to begin cutting away at some craft paper “We will have the best decorated house ever.”   
“Sure kiddo, we can definitely do that.” Tony replied as he began to help, accepting a warm cup of hot chocolate.  
Christmas now meant a lot more than just his parents, more than just what he’s lost. To Tony Christmas is for what he has now, his family and his friends.


End file.
